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File 537/1921 Part 1 'Persia: Oil - Defence of A.P. Oil Co's fields etc' [131r] (257/324)
The record is made up of 1 item (161 folios). It was created in 28 Oct 1920-21 Nov 1924. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
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Majesty’s GevP.mr^ t. ]
Prmted l° r the C °™™ittee of Imperial Defence. May 1922.
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COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE,
PROTECTION OF SOUTH PERSIA OIL-FIELDS.
(Previous C.I.D. Paper No. 157-C.)
A
Note by Secretary.
AT their Sixteenth Meeting on the 26th November, 1921, the Standing Defence
Sub-Committee arrived at the following conclusions :—
“ (&•) That the Air Ministry should be invited to undertake the responsi
bility for obtaining information regarding possible dangers to the oil-fields.
(5.) Since the Colonial Office and the Air Ministry are the Departments
which will shortly be responsible for all matters in connection with Mesopotamia,
these Departments should accept the liability for keeping up-to-date plans for
the despatch from Mesopotamia to Alrwaz of a force for the preliminary defence
of the oil-fields in an emergency/’
2 . The views of the Secretary of State for the Colonies on paragraph (fr) of the
above conclusions are stated in a letter dated the 21st December, 1921, which is
printed as Annexure I to this note.
In that letter he explained that his qualified promise of assistance from Iraq is
conditional upon the acceptance of the three principles stated below :—
“(1.) That military assistance can only be sent if the General Officer
Commanding or Air Officer Commanding considers it will not endanger either
the situation in Iraq or the position of the troops that are left behind.
ct (2.) That any assistance sent in the shape of men or material be at once
replaced fro m In dia or elsewhere^
“(3.) ThaF all financial liability involved in the despatch of troops from
Iraq to South Persia be borne by the Government Department which calls for
such assistance. Should the Anglo-Persian Oil Company themselves apply for
assistance, it is suggested that they be made responsible for all financial liability y
incurred.”
3. A letter from the Colonial Office, dated the 19th April, 1922, transmitting a
>py of a scheme prepared by the Air Staff for the protection of the South Persian
il-fields in certain eventualities and accepting the responsibility for obtaining
iformation regarding possible dangers to the oil-fields in accordance with para-
raph (a) of the conclusions of the Sixteenth Meeting of the Standing e ence
ub-Committee, is printed as Annexure II to this note.
4. It will be seen from the Memorandum by the Oversea Defence Committee
TI.D. Paper No. 157-C) that the turbulent and fanatical tribes m Arabistan who
re very susceptible to Mahommedan agitators, are the most serious menace ° ^
Purity of the oil-fields; and it is also possible that the Bakhtian, acting u
ntside influence, might abandon their present friendly attitude.
Lawlessness in Arabistan or a Bakhtiari attack are like 7 0 e c ?L f -
nti-British agitation in Iraq; so that it is, doubttul if the rs c ° ,
r Mch military assistance would be available from Iraq could e c qmp : •
5. The action proposed to be taken by the Air Force m certain eventualities is
4 forth in paragraph 11 of the Air Staff Memorandum of e - p
About this item
- Content
The item contains correspondence and other papers regarding the protection of oilfields in Arabistan, Persia [the southern part of Khuzestan Province, Iran] run by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC). Topics discussed include:
- The withdrawal of a British military unit from Ahwaz [Ahvaz] following the end of the First World War
- The reliance for protection of the oilfields on continued friendly relations with the Sheikh [Shaikh] of Mohammerah [Khorramshahr] and the Bakhtiari [Bakhtiyari] people, and considerations that these relations could be adversely influenced by the Soviet Union or by any attempt by the Government of Persia to assert more direct control over the area
- Potential creation of a ‘volunteer defence force’ made up of APOC employees, and discussions over how the Government of Persia would react to such a force
- Possible availability of British troops in Iraq for protection of the oilfields in an emergency, and discussion of the technicalities of requesting and providing such assistance.
The primary correspondents are: the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary A diplomatic representative who ranks below an ambassador. The term can be shortened to 'envoy'. to Persia; the Foreign Office; the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ; the Colonial Office; the Air Ministry; the Committee of Imperial Defence; the Government of India; Air Headquarters, Iraq; the British Consul, Ahwaz; the British Consul, Baghdad; and APOC Ltd.
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- 1 item (161 folios)
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/965/1
- Title
- File 537/1921 Part 1 'Persia: Oil - Defence of A.P. Oil Co's fields etc'
- Pages
- 4r:4v, 5ar:5av, 5r:19v, 20v:33v, 34v:88v, 91v:164v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence